Mountain West · 2026
North Dakota State Bison
Head coach Tim Polasek · Fargodome
4-01-0 in conference
TDC Rank
#57
of 138 FBS teams
Rating
+1.9
pts vs avg FBS team
Offense
-0.3
72nd in FBS
Defense
+2.2
41st in FBS
Schedule so far
-10.9
123rd toughest
Projected
9.6-2.4
bowl-eligible >99%
Season Outlook
From the TDC Rating, updated after every game
Rating by week
+1.9 now, -8.0 preseason · up 77 spots since preseason
Final record odds
9.6-2.4 expected · most likely 10-2 (29%)
Team Leaders
Passing
Nathan Hayes
QB · SR · 30th in FBS
808yds
7 TD · 2 INT
Rushing
DJ Scott
RB · JR · 55th in FBS
225yds
50 car · 3 TD
Receiving
Jackson Williams
WR · 22nd in FBS
283yds
18 rec · 1 TD
Tackles
Donovan Woolen
LB · 64th in FBS
24tkl
1 TFL
Sacks
Kelton McCaslin
DE · SR · 27th in FBS
2.5sacks
0 hurries
Interceptions
Marion Moore
CB · FR · 8th in FBS
2INT
2 PD
Schedule
Game score = the rating that one result implies, after adjusting for opponent and venue
| Wk | Date | Opponent | Result / TDC line | Game score | Win chance | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 29 | vs 100Jacksonville State | W 33–7 | +17.5 | — | CBSSN |
| 1 | Sep 5 | vs Fordham FCS | W 38–0 | +1.7 | — | MW+ |
| 2 | Sep 12 | @ 90Air ForceCONF | W 38–32 | +6.2 | — | FS1 |
| 3 | Sep 19 | @ 133Sacramento State | W 31–10 | +11.6 | — | ESPN |
| 4 | — | Bye | ||||
| 5 | Oct 3 | vs 134WyomingCONF | North Dakota State −17.3 · o/u 38.8 | — | CW | |
| 6 | Oct 10 | @ 91UNLVCONF | North Dakota State −1.9 · o/u 41.8 | — | CW | |
| 7 | Oct 17 | vs 125NevadaCONF | North Dakota State −13.6 · o/u 41.6 | — | CBSSN | |
| 8 | Oct 24 | @ 35New MexicoCONF | New Mexico −5.9 · o/u 44.9 | — | CW | |
| 9 | Oct 31 | vs 127UTEPCONF | North Dakota State −14.2 · o/u 50.7 | — | MW+ | |
| 10 | — | Bye | ||||
| 11 | Nov 14 | @ 111Hawai'iCONF | North Dakota State −4.7 · o/u 47.3 | — | CW | |
| 12 | Nov 21 | vs 137Northern IllinoisCONF | North Dakota State −19.4 · o/u 45.8 | — | CW | |
| 13 | Nov 27 | @ 122San José StateCONF | North Dakota State −7.4 · o/u 49.2 | — | CBSSN |
Team Stats
Hover an advanced stat for what it means. Box-score totals include FCS games and aren't opponent-adjusted
| Stat | Offense | FBS rank | Defense (allowed) | FBS rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA · per play, garbage time excluded (CollegeFootballData.com) | ||||
| EPA / play | +0.175 | 68th | -0.181 | 5th |
| Success rate | 40.6% | 105th | 39.0% | 63rd |
| Explosiveness | 1.446 | 14th | 1.021 | 7th |
| Play-by-play advanced · garbage time excluded (computed from every play) | ||||
| Success rate | 40.4% | 108th | 39.8% | 67th |
| Rushing success rate | 34.4% | 126th | 41.3% | 77th |
| Passing success rate | 48.9% | 38th | 37.8% | 56th |
| Explosive run rate | 12.8% | 87th | 8.3% | 26th |
| Explosive pass rate | 14.3% | 39th | 11.5% | 98th |
| Line yards / carry | 2.92 | 100th | 3.05 | 84th |
| Opportunity rate | 32.8% | 122nd | 35.8% | 68th |
| Stuff rate | 16.0% | 76th | 16.5% | 92nd |
| Sack rate | 4.5% | 71st | 4.9% | 76th |
| 3rd-down conversion | 44.2% | 55th | 45.2% | 106th |
| Red-zone TD rate | 70.0% | 55th | 50.0% | 37th |
| Havoc rate | 12.7% | 68th | 15.2% | 55th |
| Box score · season totals | ||||
| Points / game | 35.0 | 54th | 12.3 | 18th |
| Yards / game | 370.5 | 92nd | 254.8 | 18th |
| Yards / play | 5.70 | 88th | 4.23 | 27th |
| Pass yards / game | 211.8 | 87th | 154.5 | 23rd |
| Yards / pass att. | 8.70 | 39th | 6.18 | 48th |
| Completion % | 67.0% | 54th | 58.0% | 43rd |
| Rush yards / game | 158.8 | 78th | 100.3 | 38th |
| Yards / carry | 4.00 | 104th | 2.99 | 31st |
| 3rd-down conv. % | 42.3% | 66th | 37.3% | 70th |
| Turnovers / game (lost · forced) | 0.50 | 22nd | 2.50 | 5th |
| Sacks / game (allowed · made) | 1.25 | 52nd | 1.75 | 71st |
| Penalty yards / game | 61.0 | 89th | 58.3 | 59th |
Roster
100 players · Head coach Tim Polasek
100 players
| # | Player | Pos▲ | Class | Ht | Wt | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Preston Brown | QB | SO | 6' 1" | 215 | Festus, MO |
| 2 | Nathan Hayes | QB | SR | 6' 3" | 228 | West Chicago, IL |
| 10 | Trey Drake | QB | JR | 6' 3" | 213 | Jamestown, NY |
| 13 | Zander Smith | QB | FR | 6' 3" | 225 | Lakeland, FL |
| 16 | Henry Nelson | QB | FR | 6' 3" | 210 | Meridian, ID |
| 4 | Nyeoti Punni | RB | SR | 6' 1" | 225 | Lebanon, NH |
| 5 | Myles Mitchell | RB | FR | 5' 9" | 205 | Chicago, IL |
| 7 | DJ Scott | RB | JR | 5' 11" | 215 | Oviedo, FL |
| 22 | Charles Ross III | RB | FR | 5' 9" | 200 | Kansas City, MO |
| 25 | Godson Rufus-Okomhanru | RB | FR | 6' 0" | 187 | Mounds View, MN |
| 28 | Cortez LeGrant | RB | JR | 5' 10" | 200 | Sun Prairie, WI |
| 32 | Barry Kpeenu | RB | SO | 5' 10" | 205 | West Fargo, ND |
| 34 | Jonathan Harvey | RB | SR | 5' 10" | 200 | Mahtomedi, MN |
| 45 | Gatlin Empey | FB | FR | 6' 1" | 235 | Stoughton, WI |
| 3 | Jeremiah Patterson | WR | SR | 5' 9" | 175 | San Francisco, CA |
| 11 | Jordan McCants | WR | SR | 5' 11" | 190 | Birmingham, AL |
| 12 | Myles Ellis | WR | FR | 5' 9" | 160 | Flossmoor, IL |
| 15 | Mekhi Collins | WR | SR | 6' 4" | 215 | North Mankato, MN |
| 17 | Isiah St. Romain | WR | SO | 6' 0" | 200 | Williston, ND |
| 19 | John Gores | WR | SR | 5' 6" | 175 | Fargo, ND |
| 20 | Drake Schlosser | WR | FR | 6' 1" | 195 | Stanley, ND |
| 21 | Chris Kiel | WR | FR | 5' 11" | 205 | Mount Horeb, WI |
| 23 | Kye Schlichting | WR | FR | 6' 3" | 201 | Horace, ND |
| 27 | Joaquin Jordan | WR | FR | 6' 3" | 196 | Homewood, IL |
| 80 | Jacob Kilzer | WR | SO | 6' 3" | 205 | Maple Grove, MN |
| 82 | SJ Green | WR | FR | 5' 10" | 185 | Tampa, FL |
| 83 | Cade Osterman | WR | JR | 6' 1" | 192 | Elk River, MN |
| 84 | Logan Conklin | WR | SO | 6' 4" | 205 | Minot, ND |
| 89 | Tochi Okoro | WR | JR | 6' 3" | 195 | Dodge City, KS |
| 9 | Gabriel Cunningham | TE | FR | 6' 3" | 242 | Wentzville, MO |
| 43 | Cash Danner | TE | FR | 6' 5" | 235 | Thompson, ND |
| 44 | Luke Kokat | TE | SR | 6' 3" | 250 | Sturtevant, WI |
| 49 | Colten Gunderson | TE | FR | 6' 7" | 240 | Savage, MN |
| 81 | Reis Kessel | TE | SO | 6' 5" | 245 | Fargo, ND |
| 87 | Noah Nelson | TE | FR | 6' 5" | 240 | Hawley, MN |
| 88 | Isaac Ellison | TE | FR | 6' 4" | 225 | Menomonie, WI |
| 96 | Abraham Myers | TE | JR | 6' 2" | 250 | Sioux Falls, SD |
| 55 | Kene Anene | OL | SO | 6' 5" | 310 | Cottage Grove, MN |
| 63 | Trey McPartland | OL | FR | 6' 5" | 285 | Valley City, ND |
| 67 | Earl Brown | OL | FR | 6' 5" | 310 | Pillager, MN |
| 75 | Josh Magin | OT | SR | 6' 6" | 308 | Shakopee, MN |
| 76 | Ryan Babatz | OT | SO | 6' 5" | 315 | Montrose, MN |
| 77 | Austin Schultz | OT | JR | 6' 4" | 305 | Moorhead, MN |
| 78 | Noah Stommes | OT | SO | 6' 6" | 300 | Richmond, MN |
| 61 | Gage Schmidt | C | SO | 6' 3" | 300 | North Mankato, MN |
| 0 | Victor Isele | DE | JR | 6' 2" | 260 | Grand Island, NE |
| 9 | Kelton McCaslin | DE | SR | 6' 5" | 250 | St. Charles, IL |
| 11 | Matthew Stenbroten | DE | SO | 6' 4" | 250 | Lake Mills, WI |
| 48 | Blake Schiltz | DE | FR | 6' 2" | 250 | Pine Island, MN |
| 56 | Allante Burley | DE | SR | 6' 3" | 240 | Lawrenceville, GA |
| 90 | Truman Griffith | DE | SO | 6' 2" | 260 | Shawnee, KS |
| 92 | Daniel Devine | DE | FR | 6' 4" | 245 | Saint Paul, MN |
| 93 | Anthony Okes | DE | JR | 6' 3" | 260 | Great Falls, MT |
| 53 | Chase Evink | DT | FR | 6' 5" | 285 | Hancock, MN |
| 58 | Zach Hellendrung | DT | FR | 6' 3" | 275 | Boyceville, WI |
| 60 | Thomas Roberts | DT | FR | 6' 4" | 275 | Albion, NE |
| 64 | Jason Hunter | DT | FR | 6' 5" | 265 | Fargo, ND |
| 65 | Brody Clubb | DT | FR | 6' 3" | 290 | Tiffin, IA |
| 94 | Logan Larson | DT | SR | 6' 3" | 290 | Woodbury, MN |
| 98 | Jack Hansen | DT | SO | 6' 3" | 282 | Eagan, MN |
| 99 | Obald Niyonkuru | DT | JR | 5' 11" | 290 | Altoona, IA |
| 3 | Gavin Sell | LB | FR | 6' 2" | 230 | Woodville, WI |
| 25 | Ray James Jr. | LB | SO | 6' 2" | 240 | Eden Prairie, MN |
| 35 | Ryland Satter | LB | SO | 6' 1" | 235 | Sioux Falls, SD |
| 38 | Ben Schepp | LB | FR | 6' 1" | 210 | Velva, ND |
| 41 | Peder Haugo | LB | SO | 6' 1" | 230 | Fargo, ND |
| 42 | Alex Elliott | LB | JR | 6' 2" | 220 | Hutchinson, MN |
| 44 | Carter Appl | LB | FR | 6' 2" | 215 | Menasha, WI |
| 50 | Damian Devine | LB | FR | 6' 3" | 230 | Saint Paul, MN |
| 55 | Oliver Lucht | LB | JR | 6' 1" | 228 | Fargo, ND |
| 2 | EJ Davis | CB | SO | 6' 1" | 190 | Orlando, FL |
| 4 | Najee Nelson | CB | JR | 5' 11" | 197 | Lakeville, MN |
| 16 | Marion Moore | CB | FR | 5' 11" | 190 | Madison, WI |
| 19 | Will Rosenmeyer | CB | SO | 6' 0" | 188 | Highlands Ranch, CO |
| 23 | Kegan Huber | CB | SR | 6' 0" | 190 | Lake Geneva, WI |
| 24 | Kobe Russell | CB | FR | 6' 1" | 197 | Prescott, WI |
| 28 | Kendrick Carter | CB | FR | 5' 10" | 179 | Dallas, TX |
| 31 | Q Barnslater | CB | FR | 6' 0" | 170 | Burnsville, MN |
| 32 | Brayden Dozier | CB | FR | 6' 0" | 189 | Maple Grove, MN |
| 34 | Deron Russell | CB | FR | 6' 1" | 180 | Waseca, MN |
| 6 | Jaylin Crumby | S | JR | 5' 11" | 200 | Tampa, FL |
| 13 | Mikhale Ford | S | FR | 5' 11" | 190 | Lincoln, NE |
| 14 | Taylen Eady | S | SO | 6' 0" | 205 | Toano, VA |
| 20 | Will Steil | S | SO | 6' 2" | 205 | Cold Spring, MN |
| 22 | Hudson Artz | S | SR | 6' 0" | 205 | Fairmont, MN |
| 26 | Evrett Tait | S | FR | 6' 0" | 205 | Chippewa Falls, WI |
| 27 | Landon Meier | S | SO | 5' 11" | 195 | Fargo, ND |
| 29 | Darius Givance | S | SR | 6' 2" | 215 | Champlin, MN |
| 30 | Jaylen Archibald | S | FR | 6' 1" | 205 | Frisco, TX |
| 33 | Walker Braaten | S | FR | 6' 3" | 190 | Westhope, ND |
| 37 | Drew Klein | PK | SR | 5' 9" | 185 | Hortonville, WI |
| 38 | Jayden Onuonga | PK | FR | 6' 4" | 205 | Forest Lake, MN |
| 39 | Aaron Bickerton | P | SR | 6' 3" | 225 | Stoke, England |
| 51 | Caleb McGrath | P | JR | 6' 3" | 205 | Apple Valley, MN |
| 48 | CJ Anderson | LS | SR | 6' 1" | 240 | Elgin, SC |
| 59 | James Nellis | G | FR | 6' 3" | 290 | Grafton, WI |
| 62 | Griffin Empey | G | JR | 6' 3" | 302 | Stoughton, WI |
| 66 | Jack Liwienski | G | JR | 6' 3" | 297 | Chanhassen, MN |
| 68 | Coy Okeson | G | SO | 6' 5" | 310 | Minot, ND |
| 72 | Nate Schneckloth | G | JR | 6' 5" | 300 | Eldridge, IA |
Updated Sep 24, 5:53 PM ET. Ratings are in points on a neutral field. Projected lines include — points of home field. Win chances and record odds allow for the ratings themselves being uncertain, most of all early in the season. All FBS power rankings →